NBA commissioner Adam Silver. AFP FILE PHOTO
NEW YORK – The NBA will play pre-season games in five cities around the world next October, the league said Thursday.
Five teams – Miami, San Antonio, Cleveland, Brooklyn and Sacramento – will participate in the NBA’s latest global outreach effort which will include games in China, Germany, Turkey and Brazil.
“As the passion for the game continues to grow globally we are focused on finding unique and meaningful ways to connect with fans worldwide, and the NBA Global Games are part of those efforts,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.
“Basketball brings people together across cultural and geographic lines, and these games are a great opportunity for our fans to experience the excitement of the NBA first-hand.”
The San Antonio Spurs will play a pair of international teams in two stops, first against Alba Berlin on October 8 in Berlin, the second on October 11 against Fenerbache Ulker in Istanbul.
Also on October 11 in Rio de Janeiro, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat will meet.
The Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings will play two games in China.
The first will take place on October 12 in Shanghai and the second will be three days later in Beijing.